The Long-tailed or Buffous Skua 



distinguish between the young of this and the preceding 

 species ; the present species is, however, always much greyer 

 and less rufous, and has the shafts of the two outer primaries 

 white, the rest being dusky, whereas in the Arctic Skua the 

 shafts of all the primaries are white. 



THE RAZORBILL 



Alca torda, Linnaeus 



The Alcidae are pre-eminently pelagic birds that spend 

 their whole life out on the ocean except for a few short 

 weeks every year, when they assemble in thousands on 

 precipitous cliffs to breed. 



During most of the year the Eazorbill lives far out at 

 sea in the Atlantic, never coming within sight of land unless 

 driven inshore by some winter's gale. 



It is an expert swimmer and diver, and though it flies 

 well and swiftly with rapid beats of its small wings, it 

 rarely avails itself of that means of progression. It feeds 

 entirely on small fish. Early in April it repairs to the cliff 

 where it is to breed, but it is not until May that the large 

 single egg is deposited in some nook or recess of the cliff 

 often quite hidden from view. If, however, suitable recesses 

 are not handy, it will content itself with an open ledge. 

 The egg is white or huffish in ground colour, boldly marked 

 with chocolate brown and black. Incubation, which is 

 carried on by both sexes, lasts about five weeks. The 

 young bird when first hatched is covered with short down 



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